


Muse

by old_and_new_friends



Series: Mako's Lovers [3]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: M/M, Minor Bolin/Opal, Relationship Study, The Metal Clan - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-20
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:07:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27120175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/old_and_new_friends/pseuds/old_and_new_friends
Summary: Mako becomes slightly obsessed about Huan's new sculpture, unware of who the muse is.
Relationships: Huan/Mako (Avatar)
Series: Mako's Lovers [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2095230
Comments: 5
Kudos: 37





	Muse

Mako followed the group as Chief’s sister led them through her home. Mako wasn’t really listening to what she was saying, more focused on how pissed off his boss was. Mako didn’t know much about Suyin, but he knew a fair bit about Chief Beifong at this point. She was grumpy and a bit blunt, but rarely was she this put out by something. Clearly there was weight here, something even worse than her and Tenzin’s lost romance.

Mako wondered what it was, but wasn’t nearly brave enough to ask.

Mako finally tuned back into Suyin’s ramblings when she started introducing her kids.

“Those are my two youngest,” Suyin said, “Wei and Wing. They're playing a game called Power Disc. They invented it all on their own.”

Mako turned to where she was pointing to see two identical boys throwing a disc around with bending. It looked similar to Pro-bending at first, but the longer Mako watched them more it become something of its own.

“Oh, nice power, Wei,” Suyin called. Mako wasn’t sure how she told them apart.

“Ha, Wing goes down,” Wei yelled.

The two had a boyish air around them, similar to Bolin. Something told Mako he’d need to keep an eye on them, least he be pranked or messed with when his back was turned.

“I'm so proud of those two,” Suyin said, leading the group in another direction. Here the area was covered in metal sculptures. A man around Mako’s age, maybe a bit older, stood at the center working on another sculpture.

“Huan,” Suyin called, “I'd like you to meet the Avatar and her friends. And your Aunt Lin.”

Mako twitched a bit at the tacked-on part about the Chief, something about it digging under his skin just as much as his boss’ behavior.

“Nice to meet you,” Korra called. She distracted him and whatever connection was building disappeared as he turned to the conversation at hand.

“Hey,” Huan replied, not turning around.

“Wow,” Bolin said, trying his hardest to break the weird tension building, “that’s a really nice, um, banana? Yes very, very lifelike.”

Mako smirked slightly at his brother. It seemed to have caught Huan’s attention finally, even if it was anger that made him turn.

Even with his face screwed up in irritation, he still seemed to have a soft face. The shape of it made it look natural kind. The eyebrow piercing was interesting. Mako rarely ever saw those in Republic City.

Mako rubbed at his neck slightly, not for the first time missing his father’s scarf. His neck felt flush and he wasn’t sure why.

It happened often when confronted with pretty women, Asami had pulled it from him even after running him over, but Mako could never figure out why it happened sometimes without a girl around to trigger it.

“It’s not a banana,” Huan yelled. “It was inspired by Harmonic Convergence. It represents the dawning of a New Age! Obviously.”

Mako felt slightly bad for the guy at that. Clearly, he was genuinely upset over Bolin’s comment.

Bolin must have realized the same as he tried to back track.

“Oh, yeah, no, uh, I can, I can totally see that,” Bolin said.

Bolin’s comments where seemingly ignored as Huan’s eyes locked on Mako. Mako felt the flush on his neck extend up to his face the longer the other man’s attention rested on him. He felt Asami move to leave, but Mako was rooted to the spot.

“I mean, that’s a banana, right?” Bolin asked, breaking the spell.

“What?” Mako asked, having missed everything Bolin just said.

“Never mind,” Bolin said, jogging slightly to catch up with the others.

Mako turned back to Huan, to determine what he wanted, but the other man had already turned his attention to a blank piece of metal, seemingly abandoning his Harmonic Convergence piece.

“Mako,” Korra called, “come on!”

Mako shook himself and ran to catch up with the others, as Suyin lead them towards her airbender daughter.

Still, even as introductions with the person they came here for were going on, Mako’s attention was locked on a slab of metal and what Huan could possibly being doing with it.

That night at dinner, Mako’s eyes kept drifting towards Korra and he couldn’t figure out why. They had broken up and he was working on moving on. He had been fine all day and now suddenly his attention was on that corner of the room all night.

His attention caught on Huan, again, as the man sat next to Korra. He wondered if the man had fixed his Banana Convergence sculpture or the new one, he seemed to be working on.

He shook himself, and looked down at his plate. The food was fancy and that always made Mako hesitate. Sometimes rich people food could be gross while looking picture perfect, but when he took a bite, he conceded that it tasted fine.

Mako had to hide a laugh as he over heard Bolin and Opal’s conversation. His brother had a crush again. At least this time on someone not likely to kill him.

Mako’s eyes caught on the shiny neckline of Huan’s robes again before the sudden appearance of Varrick threw the night into chaos.

Mako spent the next day wandering the Beifong family home.

Bolin was off trying to spy on Opal, or maybe learn metalbending. Mako wasn’t entirely sure, but Korra had definitely gone to learn metalbending with Suyin. Lin had disappeared and if Mako had to take a guess, Asami was snooping on Varrcik. This left Mako on his own to entertain himself, something that was quickly becoming familiar, again.

He let his feet lead them where he would and soon stumbled upon Huan in his sculpture garden. 

Korra and Suyin were off to the side practicing metal bending. Bolin was no where in sight, so he must be following Opal around somewhere. He hoped that worked out for his brother as the two looked nice together.

Mako noticed the Harmonic Convergence piece looked exactly the same as it did yesterday but the new piece Huan started had taken an interesting form.

Mako still wasn’t sure what it was, but something about it ringed of familiarity.

“What’s that?” Mako asked, startling Huan.

“New piece,” Huan answered. Mako admittedly didn’t know Huan well, but from what he did know, that wasn’t an in-character answer.

“What’s this one about?” Mako asked, trying to draw out an actual answer.

“I need to change things,” Huan said. “New information, newer idea.”

That still didn’t tell Mako anything. Mako looked at the sculpture. Much like the Harmonic Banana, this sculpture didn’t really look like anything identifiable. Still, there was a feeling to the waving motions of the metal that was familiar to Mako.

He felt a heat building in his stomach the longer he stared at the dynamic swirls.

“Fire,” Mako muttered to himself, as clarity struck. “You’ve made metal fire.”

Huan turned to him, surprised.

“Yes, I’m surprised you picked up on that, considering your brother’s banana comment the other day. I supposed though that a person’s ability cannot be marked by their siblings,” Huan said.

“Bo’s not really an artistic type,” Mako admitted. “He’s more straight forward about things, though his creativity is limitless. It’s a strength more than a weakness, though sometimes he’s ideas can get a bit strange as a result.”

“And you’re more artistic?” Huan asked, seemingly interested in something for the first time since Mako had met him.

“Not really,” Mako said. “Kind of a realist.”

Huan turned back to his sculpture without a word.

Mako felt slightly hurt at that response. So, what if he wasn’t cultured like the Beifongs, that didn’t mean they could just dismiss him for not knowing something.  
Mako continued standing behind Huan. This time out of stubbornness rather than curiosity. 

Huan kept glancing back at him so Mako figured his point was being made.

He continued watching Huan work, if only to keep from getting bored in his attempt to make a point.

The sculpture was starting to look like more than just fire. Something about it, while still abstract, taking on a human form.

Mako didn’t realize he had stepped forward until Huan turned to look at him and startled back at how close he now was. Mako had been standing directly at Huan’s back.

“Sorry,” Mako said.

Huan opened his mouth to reply but at that point they were interrupted by a fight breaking out between the Chief and her sister.

Huan’s banana sculpture got ruined, though he didn’t seem too upset about it. Mako was just glad the new one still stood. Something about it pulled Mako in and he would have hated to see it ruined.

The night Opal was set to leave Mako could tell his brother was a bit upset. The two had only recently started, well Mako wasn’t actually sure if the two were dating or not, but whatever they had was still new.

They sat around the table that night where Mako had been seated on the opposite side of the table from his friends. Mako pushed down the isolation he felt at that, not even able to hear or talk to his friends. He was stuck with some random advisor, who he’d managed to piss off and one of the Beifong twins.

Mako glanced to the side, trying to catch a glimpse of Huan but the man was hidden behind the two twins. Mako would have rather been sat next to him, even if all he did was ignore Mako for not knowing anything about art.

The family got emotional sending Opal off with the airship. The shells of the city started closing as soon as the ship was clear.

Mako moved to go to bed for the night as everyone else started dispersing, knowing they needed to leave first thing in the morning, when a hand tapped his shoulder.  
Mako looked over to seen Huan standing there.

“I want to show you something before you leave,” Huan said.

Mako stared at him in confusion but nodded.

He wasn’t sure what Huan could possibly want to show him. Mako thought Huan didn’t even like him.

He was led to the sculpture garden where the Squished Banana statue had been moved off to the side. In the center of Huan’s creations stood the fire sculpture he made.

“You finished it?” Mako asked, still not sure why Huan wanted to show it to him.

“Yes,” Huan said, looking between Mako and the sculpture. He nodded, seemingly satisfied by something. “Yes, it looks right.”

“Oh,” Mako said, staring at the sculpture. That familiar movement of fire registered with the way the metal seemingly rolled with the posture of the man. At least Mako assumed it was a man at the center. It was still abstract with long limbs and no real body to it. Still, its posture, if you could call it that, was steady and strong, almost earthbender like in its purpose. A challenge to the world to try and move it. The head was faceless, though there were blots of lightning near where the eyes would be. “It looks nice. It’s a firebender, right?”

Huan sighed. “It’s you,” he said.

Mako’s head shot around to see the other man blushing slightly. It looked out of place on the usually stoic artist’s face.

“Me?” Mako said, looking at the sculpture. He didn’t see it. The sculpture looked nothing like him, even forgiving the abstract nature. There was a confidence in the sculpture that Mako hadn’t felt in a long time. Mako didn’t stand like that and the power of the rolling metal, that building fire Mako felt, was too strong. Mako wasn’t exactly trained, his fire being more a mix of what he could piece together.

His face felt hot, but even worse his throat felt like a stone had been lodged into the back of it.

“Yeah,” Huan said. “When I saw you that first day, something clicked. You seemed so, insular and strong, which was what initially drew me in but later I learned you were kind and protective. It changed a few things but I thing I got my point across.”

Mako’s heart was beating hard in his chest as he looked up at the sculpture.

He still didn’t see it, but the fact that someone else looked at a piece that cause chills down Mako’s spine and saw him, made Mako a little dizzy.

He turned back towards Huan, only to be the one started this time, as the other man stood a hair away from him.

“Thank you,” Mako said roughly, ducking his head only to realize his scarf wasn’t there anymore.

“No,” Huan said, “thank you, for being a near perfect muse.”

“Near perfect?” Mako tried to joke.

“You still don’t know what art is, or how to interpret it properly,” Huan said, looking up at his sculpture.

Mako huffed slightly but startled when he felt a pressure against his lips.

He looked at Huan as the other man pulled back.

“I figured you were leaving tonight,” Huan said. “If it doesn’t work, I can wallow in misery without ever having to see you again.”

Mako’s mind went blank before a whole bunch of things snapped into place at once. He didn’t blush for random reasons, he blushed because of attractive men. He hadn’t been watching Korra at dinner, he had been watching Huan. He hadn’t been upset that the twins were seated next to him, he was upset they were between him and Huan.

Mako looked up at Huan in contemplation before pulling the other man into another kiss. Huan wrapped his arms around Mako’s hips and pulled him closer. It felt nice to be this close to another person again.

He wasn’t sure how this would work out in the long term but he was willing to figure it out.

**Author's Note:**

> You know those things that form in your head and the only way to write anything else, is to write the thing first? Yeah.


End file.
